Gary

See

Architecture

Gary was a thriving city in the 1950s and early 60s, and it has the architecture to prove it — intact or otherwise.

The Ingwald Moe House and The Wilbur Wynant House were designed by master architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1910 and 1916, respectively. The Wynant House was destroyed by fire in 2006.

For more Prairie-school action, head to Marquette Park for the Marquette Park Pavilion and the Gary/Chanute Aquatorium, designed by George Maher in 1922 as the Gary Beach & Bathing House. An aquatorium is a place where one can view — not swim in — water, so don't show up in your bathing suit. There's a major display dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen.

The old Gary Post Office is missing a few things, most notably the US Postal Service and a roof, but it's still there; built in 1936, the interior is now off-limits, but fans of tree-in-building shots who can't make it all the way to Angkor can catch a glimpse of several saplings behind the teller windows.

The Gary Memorial Auditorium and the City Methodist Church are former city landmarks, in ruins after the Great Gary Arson of 1997. The latter is something of an Urbex mecca, and well worth a visit if you're willing to brave it. Don't let the barbed wire fence fool you, there are two wide open entrances on Washington, no "no trespassing" signs, and, happily, a parking lot opposite the building! The stairs are well-tested and safe enough, although the upper levels are not interesting compared to the amazing theater & main room on the first. Be sure to look for the last of the church's grand fireplaces in between the theater and main church — it's the last, as the rest have been stolen by enterprising, and quite undoubtedly strong, thieves.

• Palace Theater, 791 Broadway. Behind the marquee it's just a slowly disintegrating shell.

The Gary Mural Project redecorates boarded-up storefronts along Broadway.

Others

• The Gary Children's Museum (273 Cleveland St; +1 219 882-7061) is in town.
• The West Side Theater
• The Morning Bishop Theater Playhouse
• Jackson family home 2300 Jackson St.

Do

• Marquette Park is a beloved outdoors area, and is really quite beautiful (especially Marquette Aquatorium listed above). The beach is by far the nicest west of the Indiana Dunes National Park's West Beach, and is a fine place for a dip during the day. A stroll through around the lagoon and its pretty bridges west of the Aquatorium is also a nice way to kill some time.

Casinos

Buy

The city is not widely renowned as a shopping destination, and with good reason. There's little to buy here that you couldn't buy elsewhere, and most (budget) shops are in strip malls outside the city center. Gary is, however, perhaps ground zero for Michael Jackson and Jackson Five memorabilia. An easy (and, it must be said, cheesy) spot to pick up the goods is the small indoor marketplace at 487 Broadway, which also boasts a good collection of over the top celebratory Obama tees.

• The Market City Flea Market (4121 Cleveland St., +1 219 887-3522) is open F-Su 9AM-5PM.

Eat

Gary is extremely short on sit-down eateries. Take out is much easier to find if you have a car—look in and around the run down strip malls along 5th Ave outside of the city center. Lake St, on the way from the city proper to Marquette Park, has about two blocks that look incongruously charming, and there you'll have no trouble getting a slice of pizza.

Budget

Drink

There are bars and lounges all over Gary. The trouble is, they're all shuttered, having closed or burned down in years gone by.

Sleep

You'll probably want to day-trip from Chicago, which is about 45 minutes away; Hammond (about 20 minutes) has some reasonably non-decrepit discount options.